Getting around the UK can be expensive. When it isn’t expensive, it’s something even worse: just downright confusing. What counts as on and off-peak? Which railcard am I actually entitled to? And what even is a ‘splitsave’?
Transport for Wales (TfW) has decided to tackle the epidemic of vague, often changing travel times and discounts with one, simple, catch all system: Pay as you Go (PayG). And this bank holiday weekend, those who take advantage of PayG services will only pay £1 per trip.
A similar Pay as you Go system has been used in London for years with great success, and sees customers simply tapping in and out of trains and buses as they use them. After that, a computer does all the hard work of figuring out how much you owe based on where you travelled to and when, meaning fares are simple, and no one gets fined for misreading some small print.
PayG has been in place at 95 different train stations in Wales since last December, primarily in the south of the country, so plenty of travellers will already make use of the system every day. However, for those who are still unsure, now’s the time to try.
From yesterday (August 19) until next Thursday (August 28), you can try PayG for one £1 each way. This promotion is only available to those tapping their way through the barriers, as traditional tickets will remain the same prices as usual.
All you need to do to make the most of this cheap train travel is tap in and out at any participating station, which includes all stops on the Valleys lines to Bridgend, Maesteg, the Vale of Glamorgan, Abergavenny and Chepstow, before Thursday August 28. You might have even already taken part by accident – that’s how easy it is.
Ken Skates, the Cabinet Secretary for Transport and North Wales, said that this is a perfect opportunity to join the ‘many customers across Southeast Wales are already benefiting from the fastest, easiest and cheapest fares’, adding that ‘this limited time £1 fare provides a great opportunity for those passengers not using the service to give it a go’.
A spokesperson from TfW also noted that ‘since launching last year, Pay As You Go has become our fastest selling ticketing product… We hope that this promotion will really encourage existing and new customers to give PAYG a try, and travel on our services through the cheapest means possible’.
Unfortunately, those in the north of Wales aren’t yet connected to the PayG network, so won’t be able to take advantage of this particular sale. However, Skates did promise ‘the introduction of PAYG across North Wales [is] coming soon’, with TfW echoing his sentiments by saying ‘we are excited to be exploring how we can roll [PayG] out across North Wales as a part of the Network North Wales project’.
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